Mackenzie Whipple, 8, shares a laugh with Haily Kenney, 9, as they wait for guests to come in from bowling before they open the presents during Saturday s birthday party. (THE EVENING SUN -- CLARE BECKER)

When Mackenzie Whipple opened her first gift during her eighth birthday party at the Hanover Bowling Centre on Saturday, she made sure her family and friends in the room could see the white sneakers decorated with glitter and hearts.

She lifted her arms as high as she could, showing off the sneakers to the crowd in the room.

The decorated sneakers were followed by a pair of bright pink sneakers, black snow boots and a dozen other pairs of shoes. Amid the empty bags and scraps of wrapping paper stood a stack of shoe boxes taller than Mackenzie.

But the shoes weren't for her.

Instead of asking for gifts of her own for her birthday, Mackenzie, of Hanover, asked her guests to buy sneakers and snow boots to donate to Still Water, an abuse protection shelter for women and children in Hanover.

On Saturday, Mackenzie received enough sneakers and boots for eight adults and kids at the shelter.

The idea of donating stemmed from a commercial on television, asking viewers to help others in need and donate what they could, Mackenzie said. The message stuck with her as she brainstormed ways she could help. She decided asking her birthday party guests to donate shoes would be a good idea.

"I think that I have all I need," Mackenzie said. "I wanted to give other people what they need."

Her mother, Shannon Whipple, liked the idea of asking the guests for shoes in lieu of gifts.

"I was proud of her," Shannon said.

Shannon created a Facebook group, listing the shoes and sizes needed at the shelter and asked the guests to sign up for the shoes they would purchase.

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Even when all the shoes on the list were already bought, guests donated Walmart gift cards. Mackenzie and her family will drop off the shoes and gift cards to the shelter sometime next week.

But this is only the beginning, Mackenzie said. The second-grader at Washington Elementary School also wants to donate clothes and toys to the shelter.

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